Coronation of Charn
by boshrocks
Summary: Sequel to Charn's Sisters. much lighter plot wise. The coronation of Solaris and Jadis is coming up which can only mean chaos. Edmund also faces a choice; Narnia or Charn? CaspianSusan and EdmundSolaris
1. Day Before

Solaris sighed as she looked around the magnificent throne room in Cillias Castle in Charn

Solaris sighed as she looked around the magnificent throne room in Cillias Castle in Charn. The red sun was beaming through the windows behind her and all around her the stained glass windows lit the cavernous hall casting long shadows on the stone floor from the pillars holding up the high arched ceiling.

Her eye fell on the two crowns nesting on the purple velvet cushion on their special stand near the thrones, in one of which she sat. The beautiful gold crown studded with equally beautiful diamonds was accompanied by a smaller silver one with sapphires in it. That one was to be Jadis's in the coronation tomorrow. Good Jadis now.

Having taken the evil out of her, Solaris was once again proud of her sister. Now they could be as they were when they were younger. Jadis was trying to redeem herself for all the wrongs she had inflicted on the world and she was doing well. Solaris permitted the odd snide comment that Jadis couldn't help uttering now and again.

Her thoughts ran onto the country they had brought back. Charn, once left desolated and deserted by evil Jadis, was now nicknamed the New Narnia. Together they had managed to revive the land, made the rivers flow with water once again and fill up the empty lakes. They had got the trees to dance once more. Narnia had helped to populate Charn once more and the red sun now smiled down on a beautiful land once again.

In her mind she was flying far above the mountains and lakes on Addonna, her faithful winged horse, when her reverie was interrupted by a golden portal opening up in the middle of the room and a strangled cry followed by a falling man. He hit the floor heavily and with an audible "Ow!".

Edmund stood up with his back to Solaris and looked back up into the portal. A few seconds later he caught the small trunk that fell from it.

Solaris giggled and he turned to face her. He set the trunk down and bowed to her.

"Greetings. You know, Sol, you really need to move that portal. It's too painful." He said cordially, approaching her.

"I'll tell Jade. She set it up, she's the only one who can change it."

"Thinking about the coronation?" he sat on the empty throne beside her.

"Tomorrow it's all official. Charn is back on the map."

"You can't seriously be having second thoughts."

She looked sideways at him. "No, just wondering if the country will last. If it will work."

"Of course it will." Edmund replied without hesitating. "It's got you."

Solaris stared ahead at the window on the opposite wall. It held a stained glass window similar to ones found in cathedrals. It portrayed a large depiction of Aslan and below that the five kings and queens of Narnia.

Edmund noticed her looking at it. "You have nothing to worry about. You will be the greatest queen Charn has ever had."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I believe in you. I believe you will be as great a monarch as Aslan. And anyone who says otherwise will face me and my sword."

Solaris laughed. "Thank you." she said gently.

"Anytime. The others will be here shortly by the way."

"We can't have a coronation without the kings and queens of Narnia there. Besides, you and Peter are actually doing the crowning."

Edmund got up from the throne. "Everything will be fine. Both for your country and for you." he walked back down the steps and picked up the trunk.

She watched him leave the hall and looked up at the stained glass Aslan again. The artist had captured the eyes of the Great Lion spectacularly well; they almost seemed real to her. "I think he might be right." She murmured to herself.

Chuckling to herself she also rose from her seat and picked up her staff from where it leant on the arm of her throne. She wandered through the hall and thence down the corridors of the castle she knew from memory.

She found Jadis in her large bedroom, making adjustments to her coronation dress with a female faun.

"Edmund's here." Solaris said gently, sitting on the bed.

"When are you going to tell him to stay here and marry you?" Jadis snapped playfully.

"Never." She sighed. "But from what I hear Caspian and Susan are very close to getting engaged."

"Doesn't surprise me. A couple as much in love as they are; it would almost be a crime for them not to be engaged." Jadis chuckled.

"I wonder how he'll propose?"

"Oh dear, sister, you're getting awfully broody." Jadis said, examining a portion of the dress's train.

"My guy's not moving fast enough, I have to get my kicks on someone's successful love story."

"Sol, I've said it a thousand times, and I'll probably say it a thousand more times; Edmund is terribly shy. You have to make the first move. Take the party after the ceremony, for example. You find a quiet, romantic moment with him and then you kiss him, and bam you are the love story."

"I wish it was half as simple as that. And before you suggest it, no I am not going to use a spell."

"You might not; but I probably will if it doesn't speed up." Jadis threatened.

Solaris sighed. "Don't you dare. I'll handle this my way, thanks."

"Well your way sucks. Let me help, please? It physically hurts me because it's so slow. You're acting like the love-struck spotty teenage witch who fell in love for the first time with Verdan the centaur."

"You had to bring that up didn't you?"

Jadis dismissed the faun and turned back to her sister with the dress in her hands. "Yes I did. You're wearing your heart on your sleeves, just not when he's around. I haven't seen you act like this since Verdan. It's very sweet and I don't have to use my empathy to see how much you love each other. Now help me with this." She shook the dress a little and motioned to the dress stand.

Solaris got up and helped her sister put the coronation robes on the mannequin. "I want to do something about my situation with Edmund, but when I'm around him I have a hard time keeping my self control."

"But that's not how it's supposed to be." Susan said coming into the room.

"Queen Susan, welcome."

Susan curtseyed then sat down on the bed. "My thanks, Solaris. It seems the youth must teach the old. Love isn't supposed to be controllable. It's meant to be impulsive. Love is the only excuse to let yourself go. When you're in love, despite all your better judgement, you have to succumb to it. Love is impulsive and, yes, it does lead you into trouble. As is evidenced by the way Peter dislikes Caspian."

"You'd think we'd know all about this by now, wouldn't you?" Solaris said sitting beside Susan on the bed.

"You're not supposed to know this stuff until you are in love. It's one of love's great mysteries. So what are you going to do about Edmund? Oh come on," she said when Solaris looked at her in surprise. "I may have been engrossed in my own romance but that doesn't mean I haven't noticed how Edmund skips around Narnia and how he laughs when Peter beats him at sword practice. Instead of paying attention to state affairs, he daydreams and only mentioning your name can wake him up."

Jadis sniggered. "You should see her. She acts like she's walking on air. But she thinks she's hiding it well. But it's so obvious." Jadis sat on Susan's other side.

Solaris got up. "Look, unless you two vultures are done picking at my love, then I'm leaving. Some of us actually have to work around here. Oh and Jadis, you might want to more the portal on this end." She swept from the room with as much dignity as possible but outside they heard a crash and a thud and two very audible 'Ow!'s. A gold crown rolled past the open door.

"What's going on Sol?" Jadis called, smirking.

"Solaris!"

"That sounds like Peter. They must have bumped into each other." Susan said laughing.

"Not just Peter." Lucy stumbled into the room looking very dishevelled and ruffled.


	2. Morning Advice

"Sol, are you awake

"Sol, are you awake?" Jadis stuck her head into her sister's bedroom before sunrise the next day.

"No." she replied pulling her pillow over her head.

"Sol, it's coronation day, and I thought we could watch the sunrise. Make a good start to the day." Jadis leant over her.

"Jade, it's far too early."

"Hurry up or we'll miss it." Jadis yanked the covers off her sister.

"Ooh! That's cold!"

"Suck it up. Come on." Jadis took her hand and pulled her into a sitting position.

"Jade," Solaris whined. Jadis chucked her cloak at her. It hit her in the face and she pulled it down grumpily.

The stone floors were cold under their bare feet but their cloaks warmed most of them. They slipped through the shadowy corridors to their special balcony. From here you could see what felt like the whole country. The mountain on which the castle rested gave a high vantage point over the lakes and woods.

The large red sun was just peeking out when the sisters arrived. Jadis put her arm around Solaris's shoulders and Solaris slipped her arm around Jadis's waist. They stood there watching the sun rising and thinking of the day ahead of them.

"This day is not going to go smoothly, is it?" Solaris said leaning her head on her sister's shoulder.

"Well, it might go well."

"Who are we kidding? It'll be a disaster."

Jadis chuckled. "No it won't. You'll see. We'll get crowned and have the party. You'll sneak off with Edmund and make out with him in the stables. Then he'll ask you to marry him and you'll live happily ever after."

"Yeah, sounds good. Hey!"

"You're so slow in the mornings!" Jadis laughed.

"You did wake me up absurdly early, and I did have rather a late night."

Jadis looked at her in shock. "Sol, I didn't think you were capable of being naughty."

"And I wasn't. Very."

"Are you going to spill or am I going to have to tickle it out of you?" Jadis raised her free hand threateningly.

Solaris laughed. "Alright, I'll spill. Edmund and I had a bit of late night dance practice."

"Finally!"

"No! Not like that. Actual dance practice. For the party."

"Oh." Jadis looked severely disappointed.

"But things are starting to move."

"Well that's something. Do tell."

"We danced, I flirted, he kissed me."

"Hang on, go back to that last one. He kissed you?"

Solaris chuckled. "A lot. But that's it. Nothing else happened."

"It's a start. Speaking of which, we have a coronation to get to." Jadis ruffled her sisters hair and arm in arm they left the balcony.

"Looks like we missed the sunrise after all." Solaris said cheerfully as they walked back down the corridor.

"No biggie. We'll have five thousand more years worth of sunrises. Provided the country lasts that long."

"Thousand year lifespan. Way longer than he's going to live."

"Cheer up Sol. Like we said to Susan; enjoy the time you have with him. It may not be much, and it may not be long, but you've got to live every day as if it's the last. That's why I've been hurrying your romance along. We don't know when they'll be sent back to Earth. Why do you think Caspian spends every spare second he has with Susan? He knows that. And so do you."

"Edmund is not destined for me. As much as I love him, it was not fated that we should remain together."

"Solaris, I do this for your own benefit." Jadis stopped them. Without warning she slapped her sister round the face.

"Argh! What the hell was that for?" Solaris clutched her cheek.

"It was because you're an idiot." Jadis snapped. "Forget the prophesies. Forget what was foretold. You put too much store by them. They are what could be, not what will be."

"Maybe you're right."

"Sol, look at Caspian and Susan. You told Caspian he wasn't destined to marry Susan, but has that stopped him? God, no. We're all waiting for him to ask her to marry him. If he can he will marry her. An apocalypse wouldn't stop him. I'm very tempted to send one just to test him." they stopped opposite their bedrooms.

"Jadis, you can't do that." Solaris tried not tot laugh.

"I know. Not anymore. I guess I've got to find my fun somewhere else. Now get into that gold dress." Jadis gave her a little push through the door.

"Peter? What are you doing in here?" Solaris asked from the doorway.

Peter looked round from where he stood gazing out of the window. "Just wondering how you feel this morning."

"Nervous. I've been crowned before and it didn't go very well." Solaris walked over to join him.

"How do you mean?"

"Jadis caused some trouble. General Verdan was just about to place the crown on my head when Jadis grabbed the crown and insisted it was rightfully hers since she was older. There was a tussle and in the end I put the crown on my own head. It was all quite amusing really." She started to chuckle.

"Well you won't be doing that today. I'll be the one putting that crown on your head."

"I thought Ed was doing it."

Peter shook his head chuckling slightly. "No. We discussed it and felt that it would be better if a High King crowned the High Queen. Ed's going to crown Jadis. The irony is not lost on him."

Solaris laughed. "It's probably for the best. I'll just end up blushing if he crowns me. And I don't think that would send out the right message."

"How very true. I thought I'd just pass on a few words as one High King to a new High Queen. Bear in mind that on your shoulders will rest the crucial decisions. You must be firm and just and learn not to act too rashly. I know you'll do well, but I'm going to be honest, it's not easy. You've done an amazing thing in bringing back this country but the job isn't quite finished. Just know that Narnia will always be your biggest and best friend."

"I know. And Charn is Narnia's. Wise words from a wise king."

"Edmund's the wise one really. He studies up, which is an area I have grossly neglected."

"Wisdom does not come from books, Peter. It comes from life. I think you and your brother are equally astute. Despite what he thinks."

Peter laughed. "For all his wisdom, he can still be a right royal prat sometimes."

"I almost wish we had a wise king to help us along." Solaris sighed.

"I'll lend you Caspian if you'd like." Peter said promptly.

"You don't like Caspian, do you?"

"I do like him. I respect him. He's a good leader and a good fighter, and he makes a decent king. But he's not the man I'd picture for Susan."

Solaris smiled at him. "Let Susan be the judge of that. Caspian is much like yourself. Which is probably why there is so much friction between you. I find him to be a noble young man, gallant and courageous. He's courteous and respectful and surprisingly intelligent. I suspect the work of Doctor Cornelius is the driving force behind that."

"I know all that. I just think she can-"

"Do better?" Solaris interrupted gently. "I honestly don't think she could. He's a tad rash to be sure but so are you when you're around him. You bring out the worst in each other, and so that is how you see him. Susan sees all the good. Besides, she's in love. As is he. I suggest you leave them be. Pretend it isn't happening if you must, but don't interfere. There is nothing worse than an interfering sibling in a romance. Actually that's not quite true, there is one thing worse, and that is the mother." Peter laughed again. "Maybe you have some advice for me."

"On which subject?"

"Edmund." She said gently.

"I see. The one romance in my family that does have my blessing."


	3. Ceremony

"Are you ready

"Are you ready?" Jadis asked outside the doors to the throne room. They heard the hall filling up with people on the other side of the thick oak doors.

"No." Solaris replied, looking quite sick.

"Relax, you'll be fine." Lucy said carrying the purple cushion with the crowns and trying not to chuckle.

"Yeah, remember our discussion." Peter said.

"If it's any consolation, you both look great." Edmund said to both of the sisters. Then he leant in and whispered in Solaris's ear. "But you look better. You look absolutely beautiful." He leant back again. "You're radiant." He took her hand and kissed it.

"Everything is prepared." Aslan said coming into the room. "We are ready when you are."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready."

"Yes you will Sol." Edmund insisted. "You are ready. I believe in you. Her," he waved at Jadis absently, "not so much." Solaris laughed and Jadis glared. "That's better." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and squeezed her hands.

"Aw!" Susan and Lucy cooed.

"Shut up!" Solaris and Edmund snapped together with identical glares on their faces.

Caspian and Jadis sniggered and Lucy and Susan had to hide their giggles.

Solaris took a deep breath. "I guess this is it. Disaster here we come."

"It won't be like the last time you were crowned. For a start Jadis is walking behind you and getting her own crown." Peter said offering his hand to her. Chuckling she took it.

Jadis held her hand out to Edmund who reluctantly took it. Susan took Caspian's arm and they pushed the doors open. A fanfare started playing from the centaurs. Other centaurs and Amazonian warriors in their golden armour drew their swords and raised them in a salute as Caspian led Susan out. Aslan followed and then Lucy with the crowns.

"Courage, Sol. You're about to be High Queen." Peter said comfortingly as he led Solaris out of the doors with Edmund reluctantly leading Jadis behind them.

Citizens and guests from other countries bowed to them as they passed. They made a magnificent sight. The Narnian monarchs in their crowns and finery were dwarfed in comparison to the impending queens.

The Narnians all wore various shades of purple velvet, since it was the national colour of Charn. Jadis's coronation dress was blue velvet and silver taffeta with silver embroidery on the bodice and arms that draped almost as long as her skirt. Solaris's was in similar robes of cloth of gold and white chiffon and gold embroidery. Each wore a long cloak; Jadis's silver and Solaris's gold and their dresses had long trains.

Susan and Caspian took their places to the side of the thrones and Aslan turned at the base of the steps and sat down. Lucy passed him and stood before Solaris's staff and Jadis's wand which were floating between the two thrones. Peter led Solaris up the steps on one side of Aslan and Edmund led Jadis on the other.

Solaris and Jadis stood before their thrones. The sun was pouring in, lighting them from behind. Peter took Solaris's crown from Lucy's cushion and Edmund took Jadis's.

Aslan spoke out proudly. "To the Glimmering Silver Moon I give you Queen Jadis the Good." Jadis curtseyed and Edmund placed the silver crown on her head.

"Is that really the best the pair of you could come up with?" Edmund hissed as she rose again.

"And to the Glorious Scarlett Sun I give to you High Queen Solaris the Radiant." Aslan broke in and Peter smilingly placed the crown on Solaris's head as she curtseyed. Peter and Edmund stepped to the side as Solaris rose. "To the restored land of Charn I give you your queens." Aslan declared. "Long live Queen Jadis! Long live High Queen Solaris!"

"No fears there." Edmund whispered to Lucy as they broke into applause. Solaris and Jadis heard and struggled to keep from laughing.

The assembled dignitaries cheered led by the Narnian Kings and Queens. Solaris turned her head and smiled at her sister who beamed back. Together they sat on their thrones and the five monarchs of Narnia knelt before them in a row.

Much later, when the party had got underway Edmund watched Solaris dancing with Peter. She really did look radiant. She was smiling broadly and Peter seemed to be saying things to make her laugh. Edmund felt a little twinge of jealousy.

"Turkish delight, Edmund?" a voice said from behind him. Turning he saw Jadis holding up a box of Turkish delight. The box looked familiar.

"Uh, no, I don't think so. I learnt my lesson the last time you offered me Turkish delight."

"If I recall, it was you who asked for the Turkish delight. I merely gave it to you. Besides, I'm good now; check the title. This is different. We found the old recipe and decided to make it for the party. Try some. I promise it's not magical." Jadis had all the appearance of innocence, but behind her back she crossed her fingers.

But Edmund would have to be a fool to fall for it.

"Alright I'll have a piece." He took one and took a bite.

Jadis smirked evilly.

"Caspian!" she said as he passed, shifting the smirk to a smile. She grabbed his arm and turned him round. "How about you? Want some Turkish delight?"


	4. Obsession

"Sol

"Sol? Where are you?" Edmund called stepping out into the courtyard moments later barely noticing the frantically pacing Caspian.

"Susan?" Caspian stopped and glared at Edmund. "You're not Susan."

"Well done for noticing." Edmund replied sarcastically.

"Have you seen her?" Caspian pressed.

"Isn't she back at the party? Have you seen Sol?"

"Still greeting guests. Susan told me to meet her out here. I have something to tell her."

"What?"

Caspian blushed. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Congrats mate. Sol asked me to meet her out here too. I wonder why."

"Both your girls are still in the hall. Where you should be." Peter said from behind Edmund.

"Getting some air?" Edmund asked.

Peter perched on one of the low walls circling the courtyard and nodded. "So, what's up?"

"Here's Caspian going to pop the biggest question in the world and I desperately want to do the same with my Solaris. That's what's up." Edmund kicked a loose pebble in frustration.

"I see. Just do it already."

"I thought you were going to tell her how I felt."

Peter laughed. "That's not the kind of thing I can do for you. That conversation has to happen between the two of you. Besides I've done my part. Now it's your turn. You can't fail. She won't turn you down."

Caspian resumed his pacing.

"What did you say to her this morning?" Edmund asked, fidgeting furiously.

Peter was trying not to laugh at his brother again. "I'll let her tell you that. Just remember, if you truly love her and you really want to do this, you have a bigger choice to make. Charn and Solaris, or Narnia and your family."

"You really know how to deliver ultimatums don't you?" Edmund snapped.

"Just think about it." Peter nodded past Edmund and he turned to see Solaris coming out too. Caspian stopped pacing but started again when he saw it wasn't Susan.

"Hello boys. Why aren't you inside having fun?" she asked coyly. As soon as Edmund saw her his eyes got a dreamy look in them and he marched up to her and started kissing her. At first she was too stunned to do anything about it. Surprised she pushed him away. "Ed, what are you doing?" she panted holding him at arms length.

He tried to kiss her again. She pushed him away again. "Peter, help me." she pleaded.

Peter pulled his brother away slightly and Edmund continued to fight to get to Solaris. "Isn't this what you want?"

"Yeah, but it's not like him at all. It's like he's possessed. He's too shy to- JADIS!" she yelled suddenly. "Hold him for a minute. I'm going to get Jadis." She turned on her heel and stormed back inside. Edmund fought harder to follow.

"Cas, help!" Peter called. Caspian stopped his frenzied pacing and grabbed onto him too to help Peter.

Moments later Solaris came out again dragging her sister with her. "You did this didn't you?" Solaris demanded letting Jadis go and pointing at Edmund.

Jadis looked at the two older boys struggling with Edmund. "Seems fine to me."

"Don't give me that. I know your handiwork when I see it. You gave him something didn't you?"

"No." Jadis's innocent act was faltering under her sister's glare.

"You did this to him, I know you did!" Solaris suddenly roared.

"What's going on out here?" Susan asked stepping outside with Lucy beside her. As soon as he saw her Caspian let go of Edmund and rushed to kiss Susan in the same possessed way Edmund had with Solaris. "Caspian too? Sister you said you wouldn't."

Solaris grabbed Caspian and pulled him off Susan. She held him back as he reached out to grab Susan, who retreated several paces pulling Lucy with her.

"Okay, freaked out now. Someone want to tell me what's going on?" Susan asked hugging Lucy to her and looking at Caspian's glazed eyes. Lucy watched Peter struggling with Edmund by himself.

"What's happened to them?" she said, sounding very scared.

"Jadis, take the spell off them." Solaris demanded.

"It wasn't a spell." Jadis protested. "It was a potion." She said quickly as Solaris's glare became fiercer. "I did it for you." Jadis insisted. "You said it was going too slowly, so I gave you a hand. I gave your relationship the kick up the backside it needed."

Solaris somehow pointed at Edmund who was still fighting Peter to get to her as Caspian continued to struggle. "This isn't what I wanted. Things were going perfectly well before you decided to interfere. Now you've ruined everything, including our coronation party. I can't believe you. I thought you'd changed."

"I have changed. And what I did I did out of my love for you. You've been complaining for days how slowly it's going. I was just helping you out. It wasn't an obsession potion, it was a confidence potion."

Solaris sighed. "Jadis those potions are only different by a few ingredients. Heck if the knotgrass is picked in the wrong month and added to the potion it changes it completely. You made an obsession potion." Caspian struggled and she tightened her hold on him.

"So what are we going to do about them?" Peter said really struggling to keep a hold on Edmund.

"Wait 'til it wears off?" Jadis said hopefully.

"Jadis!" Susan, Peter Lucy and Solaris shouted.

"I'm sorry." She said meekly.

Edmund suddenly broke free and rushed at Solaris and hugged her from the back. She was so shocked she let go of Caspian who then launched himself at Susan. She screamed and tried to run from him. He was too fast for her though and so he caught her.

"Help me!" Susan cried as Caspian pinned her down on the hard stone floor and started planting kisses on her neck and face. "It's too much. Caspian, you're scaring me. Stop it! Please." She pleaded.

"Alright Cas, time to stop harassing my sister." Peter said grabbing Caspian by the waist and physically wrenching him off Susan.

"Thanks Pete." Susan said as Lucy came to kneel beside her.

"Edmund! Stop that!" Solaris shouted as Edmund tried to remove her dress. She held him at arms length. "Jadis, how could you? Fix this, now."

"Wait right here." Jadis said as an idea came to her. She hurried back inside.

"Sol, sometimes I really hate your sister." Peter said.

"Sometimes Peter, so do I."

"Even when she's good she's evil." Susan said.

"She's having a hard time adjusting to the change. Why am I justifying her?" Solaris asked.

The doors opened again and Jadis came out with Aslan by her side and carrying her wand.

"Let go of them." Aslan ordered quietly. Peter reluctantly did so and Solaris let go of Edmund at the same moment. As soon as they had Aslan roared his magnificent roar. Caspian and Edmund seemed to wake up.

"What happened?" Edmund asked, looking about him as though unsure of how he got there.

"Ask Jadis." Peter snapped.

"Everything back to normal?" Solaris asked.

"Yeah, but I don't remember not being normal." Edmund said looking very confused.

"Why do I have the feeling that I'm very ashamed of myself?" Caspian asked trying to hug Susan and looking shocked that she withdrew and wouldn't touch him.

"Because you should be." Lucy scolded cuddling Susan.

Edmund and Caspian seemed to realise that they were in the same boat. "Do you not remember anything either?" Edmund asked. Caspian shook his head.

"I think we should return to your party before people start wondering where you all are." Aslan said calmly.

"I'll deal with you tomorrow." Solaris threatened her sister. "Come, the party will be over soon, and we must be there.

The kings and queens nodded and all but Jadis went inside. She stood there watching them go and withdrew the silver box of Turkish delight from her cloak.

"Never fails." She muttered. "That was a low, mean, sneaky, underhanded trick!" Jadis smiled. "And I'm quite proud of myself."


End file.
